Bianca Meets Casey: The Shocking Case of a Pokémon Thief
by ForgottenPearl
Summary: Bianca, while trying to find her stolen Pokemon, meets Casey of the Johto region. The two strike up a great friendship, which will help Bianca as she tries to capture a Pokemon thief and prove to her dad that it's safe for her to travel. This is my first fanfic, so I hope you enjoy it!
1. Section 1

**Bianca Meets Casey: The Shocking Case of a Pokémon Thief**

**By ForgottenPearl**

This fanfic draws inspiration primarily from the anime, but the manga and games factor in as well. You should be able to follow it if you're at all familiar with Pokémon. For those of you unfamiliar with Casey, she was a baseball-loving character who appeared in the Johto episodes. In one episode of Chronicles, she met a fellow baseball fan named Georgio. Bianca is portrayed mostly like she is in the anime, _only this fanfic pretends that she never met Ash and the gang or caught any other Pokémon. _This is my first fanfic, so I hope you enjoy it!

**Section One**

Bianca was on her way to Nimbasa City, walking on a road surrounded by desert sand. Though she was sweating from the heat, she wore a smile on her face thanks to the three gym badges she had in her green messenger bag. Never mind how many times she had to battle those gym leaders... and never mind the fact that each battle had to be one-on-one since she had only one Pokémon.

She couldn't wait to tell her daddy about the exciting battle she had against Burgh, Castelia City's gym leader. Thanks to her Pignite, taking down his Leavanny hadn't been too difficult.

While Bianca reminisced over the battle, she noticed some sand moving around off to the side of the road. Looking at it closely, she noticed a small yellow Pokémon trudging through it. The creature had a big, round head—topped off with a small red scale—and two oval-shaped eyes. It walked around while holding up its shedding yellow skin, which drooped down as though it were pair of pants in need of a belt.

"It's so cute!" she squealed. "What kind of Pokémon is it?"

Bianca pulled out her Pokédex, a mini-computer that has knowledge of all the Pokémon known to mankind. She pointed it at the Pokémon, and a robotic voice announced, "Scraggy, the Shedding Pokémon. The lower half of Scraggy's body is covered by a tough rubbery skin, and when someone makes eye contact it responds with Headbutt."

"Headbutting someone just for making eye contact?" Bianca asked herself. "Well, it's still _so _cute!"

Bianca reached into messenger bag to pull out her Pignite's Poké Ball.

"Where is it? It's in here somewhere... Aha! Scraggy, you're mine!"

The wild Scraggy looked up and narrowed its eyes, ready for battle. Bianca swooshed her arm around like an overactive windmill and then let the Poké Ball go. Out came Pignite, her first—and so far only—Pokémon. A big, round, pig-like Pokémon, it sported orange, yellow, and brown colors on its body. Standing upright, it looked like a pig-snouted wrestler just raring to battle.

Bianca was every bit as eager to get the ball rolling. "Okay, Pignite, let's use Flame Charge!" Pignite stomped its feet on the street, swaying back and forth as it said its name again and again. Suddenly, a huge flame burst around its body, and it lunged at the wild Scraggy. Still stuck in the sand, the Scraggy took a direct hit.

"Great job, Pignite!" Bianca called out.

The force of the impact made Scraggy fly through the air for a moment, and it landed on some hard sand, the kind it wouldn't sink into. Frustrated, it crossed its arms and glared at Pignite. And glared, and glared, and glared. It sure didn't look so cute like that.

"What's it doing?" Bianca asked. "Oh, wait!"

She pulled out her Pokédex and put it in Move Finder mode. It announced, "Swagger: The user enrages and confuses the target. However, it also sharply raises the target's attack stat."

Bianca returned her attention to the battle and saw Pignite flailing around as if it were an angry drunk. "No...," she whispered. Then she perked her chin up. "But we've got more attack power! Don't give up. Pignite, use Ember!"

Pignite shot off a spectacular bullet of fire, only it went in the wrong direction. The wild Scraggy laughed, and then it kicked sand in Pignite's face. Pignite squealed as it covered its eyes.

"Sand Attack," the Pokédex announced. "Sand is hurled in the target's face, reducing its accuracy."

Bianca sweated harder, wondering if there was anything else she could do. A confused, inaccurate Pokémon in battle...

"Pignite, try Flame Charge again!" she called out.

Pignite did its best to get its head on straight. Concentrating hard, it burst aflame again and lunged at the Scraggy, who jumped aside casually. Pignite stumbled as it tried to regain its footing. The Scraggy then gave Pignite a hard kick in the legs, making it fall over.

"Low Kick," the Pokédex announced. "A powerful low kick that makes the target fall over. It inflicts greater damage on heavier targets."

But Bianca wasn't listening to the Pokédex. She saw that Pignite was knocked out, so she ran off the main path and into the sand.

Content with itself, the wild Scraggy marched away, holding its shedding skin up.

Bianca knelt down next to Pignite. "I'm sorry I put you through that. It's not like I'll ever catch a Pokémon on my own anyway..."

Her Pignite looked up at her, frowning as it whispered its name. Bianca knew what that meant: "Don't be so hard on yourself." Yeah, she had told herself that after each and every failed capture. Each and every one.

Why didn't she think to use Arm Thrust? That was Pignite's fighting-type move, and it would have worked well against a dark type like Scraggy. She had panicked when things got tough. "Again," she mumbled to herself.

She had Pignite return to its Poké Ball, where it would be safe for now. She knew she had to get it to a Pokémon Center right away. Hopefully, Nimbasa City wasn't too far away.

As she fast-walked down the road, Bianca noticed the wind picking up. The sand started to sting her arms and lodge itself into her blonde hair. She had to put one hand on top of her head to prevent her big, green hat from blowing away, and she had to squint her green eyes. But she trudged through the sandstorm for Pignite's sake.


	2. Section 2

**Section Two**

Bianca finally saw a gate up ahead. It was a short tunnel designed to get trainers from Route 4 to Nimbasa City—and to give them a warm welcome, of course. She made her way inside of it, admiring the tan tiles on the floor and the electronic bulletin board with news and pictures from Nimbasa City. The text going by read, "The Electabuzz versus Zebstrika, tonight in Nimbasa City's own Big Stadium! It's an opportunity no baseball fan should miss."

"Hmm," Bianca said as she wiped sand off her long, white pencil skirt. "That sounds like something Daddy would enjoy. I'll bet he watches it on TV."

Focusing on her task again, Bianca stepped towards the receptionist's desk to ask him where the nearest Pokémon Center was. He had long, dark hair and equally dark eyes.

"You hang a left outta here and keep goin' straight until you see it," he informed her in a raspy voice. "Are your Pokémon in bad shape?"

"My Pignite was beaten up by a little Scraggy. And I thought it looked so cute, too..."

The receptionist looked up at a nearby clock, which said it was approaching noon. "A Pignite, huh? Listen. If you're real concerned about it, I can rush it to the Pokémon Center on a motorcycle, and then you can pick it up later. Sound like a good deal?"

"Sure!" Bianca said, relieved that her Pignite would be all right. She pulled out its Poké Ball and placed it in the receptionist's hands.

"Great!" he said. "Let me get this taken care of." He stepped out from behind the desk and headed outside.

As Bianca wiped the rest of the sand off her, she heard a motorcycle rev up and then fade into the distance. The clock on the wall struck noon. Once she got all that crusty sand off her, she looked back at the receptionist's desk and saw a woman standing there.

"Umm, excuse me," Bianca asked, "which way is the nearest Pokémon Center? The other receptionist told me a second ago, but I kinda forgot."

"You go out of this gate, turn left, and keep going straight for a while," the woman said. "But who's this other receptionist you're talking about?"

"He was just here a second ago," Bianca said. With some cheer in her voice, she added, "He's taking my Pignite to the Pokémon Center for me! Isn't that nice?"

The woman took on a somber look, having trouble maintaining eye contact. "Ma'am, I'm the only receptionist here. I was just on my break until a minute ago, and I have no clue who this man is."

Bianca froze, wondering what she just did to her poor Pignite. Then she darted out of the gate, determined to find this man.


	3. Section 3

**Section Three**

"Pignite!" Bianca called out. "Pignite, where are you?"

The only response she received was a few odd looks from tourists walking by. Some of them were dressed up like Electabuzz with yellow and black stripes, but most were dressed like Zebstrika, black with white stripes. They obviously took baseball seriously. They didn't have time to worry over what Bianca was shouting her head off about.

Bianca looked around at all the buildings and all the people, and she realized just how huge this city was. Even after journeying through Castelia City, she still wasn't used to big cities. Her home was Nuvema Town, a quiet, peaceful place—nothing like this energetic swarm of people and buildings.

Walking along, desperately hoping to see a motorcycle parked somewhere, Bianca considered contacting Professor Juniper, the woman who gave her the Pokédex in the first place. At first, when Bianca said that she wanted to go on a Pokémon journey, everyone smiled at her like she was a little kid—didn't take her seriously at all. Like she was just daydreaming aloud.

But she meant it, and Professor Juniper knew it. She believed in Bianca when no one else did.

So how could Bianca let her down by telling her that she couldn't even take care of her own Pokémon...?

"I'll just have to use my wits to get Pignite back," Bianca whispered to herself. As she did, she thought of people from school that teased her for her low grades. They wondered how she could do so badly when she was friends with Cheren, the smartest boy in the class.

Bianca thought for a moment. What would Cheren, with his level-headed wisdom, do in a situation like this? Well, he would say that the city's too big to find Pignite alone. You'd need help. You'd need...

"The police!" Bianca said aloud. Looking around, she stopped a random stranger dressed up like an Electabuzz and asked where the police station was.

"Sorry, I dunno," he said. "I'm not from around here."

Bianca got a similar response from another Electabuzz fan, but a Zebstrika fan was able to tell her that it was on the opposite side of the city.

"Thanks!" Bianca said, her voice shaky. The opposite side of town...? She had to get moving, now!

"Out of my way," she shouted as she ran, "out of my way!"

She zoomed down the street, some people barely dodging her. But on a footbridge, one brown-haired boy in a light blue shirt didn't even see her coming. When Bianca collided into him, he went flying into the water beneath the bridge. The girl with him started panicking, calling out his name: "Georgio!"


	4. Section 4

**Section Four**

With concern filling her brown eyes, Casey watched as Georgio splashed around in the water below her. Casey had purple hair, topped off with an Electabuzz baseball cap. The rest of her clothes showed her to be an Electabuzz fan as well.

Once Georgio got ahold of himself, he swam to a nearby dock to get out of the water. His blue t-shirt and scarf were dripping wet, as was his light brown hair.

Casey was relieved for a moment, but then she turned her attention to Bianca, who was busy standing back up. Her eyes narrowed. "What's the big idea, pushing Georgio off the bridge like that? That's like throwing a beanball!"

"I'm so sorry!" Bianca pleaded. "Sorry, sorry, sorry! I didn't mean to run into you. It's just, I'm looking for my Pignite—some guy just stole it, and..."

Casey suddenly grew concerned for Bianca. "Someone stole your Pokémon? What did he look like?"

"His hair was dark, and it went down to about here," Bianca said, gesturing to just below her shoulders. "His eyes were dark too, and he was riding a motorcycle."

"Let's get searching, then!" Casey said. Bianca was surprised by how generous she was all of a sudden.

Casey pulled out a Poké Ball and opened it up to reveal a Pokémon that looked like a giant bee. It had sharp spikes as hands and ruby red eyes. According to Bianca's Pokédex, it was a Beedrill, and "its best attack involves flying around at high speed, striking with poison needles, then flying off."

"You heard everything, right, Beedrill?" Casey asked. "Find that guy!"

The Beedrill let out a buzz, gave what looked like a salute, and flew off.

"Oh, thank you so much," Bianca told Casey, holding out her hand. "My name's Bianca. And you are...?"

"The name's Casey," she replied with pride, shaking her hand. "I'm the number one Electabuzz fan around—I came all the way here from the Johto region."

"The Johto region, huh?" Bianca said, surprised. "There are so many places to go..."

"The world's amazing, right?" Casey asked.

Right then, Georgio reappeared, ringing out his wet shirt and then putting it back on. As Casey watched him, she introduced him to Bianca. "And the guy you knocked out of the park is named Georgio. He's the number two Electabuzz fan. We met in the Kanto region not long ago. Georgio, this is Bianca."

"Nice... to meet you," he said, feeling a bit awkward.

"I'm so sorry again for knocking you down!" Bianca said. "And anyway, I wanna tell the police that my Pignite was stolen so they can start searching too."

Before Bianca could start zooming down the street, though, Casey's Beedrill returned.

"Hey, you're back already," she said. "Did you find the guy?"

Beedrill nodded, and then it started to fly down the road.

"Let's follow it!" Casey told everyone.

With a mix of anxiety, excitement, and a little relief, Bianca followed Georgio and Casey as they followed Beedrill. She hoped she would reunite with Pignite soon. While they were running, Casey filled Georgio in on what was happening with Bianca.

Suddenly, Beedrill turned down a dark alley. Casey and the others followed it, and there stood a man with long, dark hair dressed professionally—like a receptionist. And he was standing by a motorcycle.

"There you are!" Bianca shouted, her anger overtaking her. "Give Pignite back, right now!"

The man froze, shocked that he was found in such a large, crowded city. At first, he tried to play dumb. "What are you talking about? I just dropped Pignite off at the Pokémon Center. Just like you asked."

"Wait, you did?" Bianca asked.

"Don't buy it!" Casey barked, hands balled up like fists. "You're lying, and we know it!"

The man froze again for a second, and that confirmed everything they needed to know. Bianca felt ashamed that she almost fell for such an obvious lie. The man started to move back towards his motorcycle.

"Oh no you don't!" Casey shouted. "Beedrill, Toxic Spikes!"

With that, the bug Pokémon laid out a bunch of poison spikes, blocking the man from his motorcycle. He swore under his breath.

"If that's how you wanna play," he said," then come on out, Wobbuffet!"

Out of his Poké Ball came a light blue, punching bag-like Pokémon. It had thin eyes on its face, but big, round ones on its black tail. "Wobbuffet, the Patient Pokémon," Bianca's Pokédex said. "Wobbuffet like to live in dark areas so they can keep their pitch black tail concealed."

"Let me help out!" Georgio insisted as he pulled a Poké Ball off his belt. Casey gave him an approving nod and a smile, glad that he was always so willing to help. "Delcatty, come on out!"

And out it came, a tan, cat-like Pokémon with big, purple ears and some purple fur that it wore like a scarf. As usual, Bianca's Pokédex spoke up: "Delcatty, the Prim Pokémon. It is highly popular among female Trainers for its sublime fur. It does not keep a nest."

"Of course," Casey said, nudging Georgio, "that doesn't mean boys can't like it too, right?"

"Right!" he said, blushing. "It's a strong Pokémon."

"Quit yapping and start battling!" the poacher shouted. For a moment, Bianca wondered why he didn't just launch the first attack himself.

"Okay, Delcatty!" Georgio called out. "Try Iron Tail!"

Delcatty's long, majestic tail took on a steel texture, and then it lunged at the Wobbuffet, intending to smack it.

"Counter that, Wobbuffet!" the man shouted.

A light brown barrier formed around Wobbuffet, and when Delcatty came into contact with it, it yowled in pain and flew off.

As the battle raged on, Bianca could do nothing but watch. Without Pignite, she was powerless. And she didn't even understand what just happened: was Counter a defensive move or something?

"Hang in there, Georgio!" Casey called out.

Georgio thought for a moment as the poacher looked at him with a wily grin on his face. Suddenly, it hit him. "Delcatty, get right in Wobbuffet's face!" Instantly, the cat Pokémon jumped in front of its opponent. "Now use Ice Beam!"

The man called out, "Use Mirr—!" But it was too late. The beam of ice left Wobbuffet frozen solid.

"All right, Delcatty, we did it!" Georgio called. "Good job."

Delcatty gave a happy meow to its trainer, and then it returned its attention to the poacher. The man reluctantly called Wobbuffet back, and then he looked around for some way to escape—there was none.

"Now," Georgio said, "if you don't give that Pokémon back, you'll be the one frozen next. Got it?"

Casey, not used to hearing Georgio sound so tough, nearly giggled.

The man stood there, glaring at the group of trainers for a moment.

Georgio was growing impatient. "Fine, have it your way. Delcatty, use Ice—"

"Here ya go!" the man shouted, throwing a Poké Ball Bianca's way. She opened it up right away and found a hurting—but relieved—Pignite. She got down on her knees and gave it a hug.

"I'm so glad you're safe," she said, wiping her tears away. "I wish I could be the trainer you deserve to have."

Using what strength it had left, Pignite gave Bianca a consoling pat on the back.

Watching the scene unfold, Georgio and Casey smiled at each other. But then they returned their attention to the poacher.

"Now, what are we gonna do about you?" Casey asked.

"Nothing," the man replied. He then made a break for his motorcycle because the Toxic Spikes around it had worn off. Revving up real fast, he made one heck of a getaway. Georgio tried having Delcatty use Ice Beam again, but he was too far away by the time everything had registered for him.

"He got away," Georgio mumbled.

"Well, at least we got Pignite back, right?" Casey said.

"Thank you both so much," Bianca said, tearing up some more.

"No problem. Let's get it to the Pokémon Center."


	5. Section 5

**Section Five**

The Pokémon Center was one of the biggest Bianca or Casey had ever seen. Trainers were scattered everywhere, enjoying a break from their journeys. Once the group dropped their Pokémon off, they found an empty set of armchairs near a glass coffee table.

"So," Bianca asked with an innocent smile, "are you two a couple?"

"No!" Casey instantly replied, her face turning red.

Georgio waved his hands back and forth while adding, "Nothing but a couple of Electabuzz fans!"

Keeping her smile on, Bianca said, "Oh, sorry. My mistake. So you're both here for a baseball game?"

"That's right!" Casey exclaimed, glad the topic was changing. "The Electabuzz are one of the greatest teams in history. Me and my family have been cheering them on for generations."

"Generations?" Bianca asked.

"Generations!" Casey replied.

"That must be fun," Bianca said, "having something to bond over."

"Yeah, it is. And we even made an awesome fight song to cheer 'em on with. Wanna hear it?" Before Bianca could reply, Casey added, "Of course you do!"

"Can I join in?" Georgio asked.

"Of course!"

While waving a triumphant fist back and forth, the two sang the Electabuzz fight song:

"We all love Electabuzz,

No other team's the same.

The players charge the field

And electrify the game.

They pitch and catch and run so quick.

Their baseball bats are thunder sticks.

Their power hitters do the trick.

Electabuzz, our favorite pick!

We love their yellow color,

And their black stripes are the best.

Electabuzz, they're better than the rest!"

Bianca had a huge smile on her face. "That's real catchy!" she said. "Heh, get it? _Catchy?_ And it's about baseball?"

"Thanks," Georgio and Casey said together. But Georgio added, "Casey's the one who came up with it. She really is their number one fan."

Casey blushed.

"So, Casey, you said you're from Johto and Georgio's from Kanto, right?"

"That's right," Casey said. "We met when I went to a game near Cerulean City. Georgio was nice enough to take me."

It was Georgio's turn to blush. "It's a long story," he said, leaning back farther in his chair. "But we definitely wanted to go to this game together: it's the Electabuzz's first time playing in the Unova region."

"And they're up against... the Zebstrika, right?" Bianca asked.

"That is correct!" Casey exclaimed. "They're a good team, but I think—"

Suddenly, a beepy ringing sound cut Casey off. Bianca realized that she was receiving a call on her Xtransceiver, a cell phone-like device that people wear like a watch. Curious, she pressed the button, and her daddy's image appeared onscreen.

"Daddy, hi!" she said, all excited. "I was going to call you as soon as I got to Nimbasa City."

"Hi, Bianca," the man said. He was portly, but stood tall with good posture. He wore a formal suit and had well-trimmed brown hair. "You're on your way to Nimbasa City?"

"Actually, I'm there now. In the Pokémon Center."

"What a coincidence! I was about to call and ask if you wanted to meet there."

It took a second for this to register with Bianca. Putting a surprised hand to her face, she asked, "Daddy, you're in Nimbasa too?"

"Sure am," he replied casually. "I've got some business to do here. And I'm here to cheer on the Zebstrika in their baseball game."

Casey, overhearing this conversation, called out, "Boo!"

"What was that?" Bianca's dad asked.

"Oh, nothing," Bianca said, shrugging it off with a giggle. "Sure, we can meet here at the Center."

"Great, I'm about ten minutes away. I'll see if I can find you."

"Sounds great," Bianca said. But, inside, she was wondering whether or not she should tell her dad about Pignite almost getting stolen.


	6. Section 6

**Section Six**

As they waited for Bianca's dad, the trainers were called to the front desk to let them know that their Pokémon were doing just fine. Bianca instantly called Pignite out of its ball and gave it a hug and a kiss.

"I'll never let _anybody_ steal you ever, ever again. Okay?"

"Wait, steal?"

It was Bianca's dad who, as fate would have it, just arrived at the Center.

"Oh, hi, Daddy..."

"What was that you were saying about stealing?" he asked, his face gravely concerned.

"Oh, nothing. Umm, these are my new friends, Casey and Georgio." Bianca gestured to the two of them.

"Hi," Casey said, giving her hand a small wave. She forced a smile for the Zebstrika fan.

"Nice to meet you, sir," Georgio said.

"It's nice to meet you too," Bianca's dad kindly replied. "But I still want to know what this stealing business is all about."

Bianca sighed and led the group back to their armchairs. Georgio asked if Bianca's dad wanted anything to drink, but he politely declined. All he wanted to know was what happened to his daughter.

Reluctantly, Bianca told him the whole story. The receptionist man seemed legit, so she didn't even give him a second thought. Luckily, she had Casey and Georgio's help getting Pignite back. While listening to the story, her father sat up straight in his chair, a solemn look on his face.

"And why was your Pignite hurt in the first place?" he asked after the story was finished.

"Well, I was trying to catch a Scraggy, and... it didn't work out."

He let out a sigh and straightened his tie.

"I might as well bring it up now. Bianca, I knew you'd be in town. I didn't come here just for work or to cheer the Zebstrika on. I—"

"A Zebstrika fan...," Casey interrupted with a growl. "What's so great about them? You know the Electabuzz are going to zap 'em all, right?"

Irritation overtook the father's face. "There is no way that will happen... Casey, was it? The Electabuzz always finish near last place."

"But they have their fighting spirit!" Casey insisted, her hands balled up like fists. "I'm sure they'll do well this year. I'm sure of it!"

"You can put lipstick on a Tepig, but it's still a Tepig," Bianca's dad said with a shrug.

"This ain't about lipstick! Like, Corey Demario is one of the best pitchers around. You can't deny that!"

Suddenly looking borderline fierce, Bianca's dad retorted, "He is good. I don't know why he doesn't just leave the team."

Casey's jaw dropped to the floor. "T-take that back! He knows where he belongs!"

"I bet he just feels bad for the rest of his team."

"He does not! He—"

Georgio and Bianca shared an anxious look. Georgio held Casey back, and Bianca held her daddy back.

"Casey, c'mon," Georgio said, "there will always be fans of other teams out there. We can't change that."

"But what he just said was blasphemy!" Casey insisted.

"Daddy," Bianca pleaded, "don't start a fight..."

Transforming back to his calm, professional self, the father cleared his throat and said, "I apologize. I sometimes get... worked up while discussing sports."

"I always do!" Casey continued. "And that's 'cause—"

Georgio put a hand over Casey's mouth. Meekly, she looked up at his face, let a breath out through her nose, and silently agreed to calm down. Everyone got back into their armchairs.

"Anyway," Bianca's dad said, "I got sidetracked." He looked his daughter right in the eye. "Bianca, your mother and I have been talking, and... We would both appreciate it if you came back home."

For a moment, the whole world seemed to fall silent.

"C-c-come back home?!" Bianca gasped. "N-no, Daddy! No!"

"We're always worrying about you," the father continued, unshaken. "You out on your own... Bianca, there's so much you don't know, and the world can be a harsh place. A Pokémon journey isn't easy. I know we agreed to it earlier, but—"

"Professor Juniper believes I can do it!" Bianca interrupted. "She does!"

"Let Bianca decide for herself!" Casey butted in. Georgio, meanwhile, could do nothing but sit around nervously.

"This is a family issue, Casey," the father said, not even turning in her direction. Still focused on Bianca, he continued, "Let's look at your journey so far. You haven't caught a single Pokémon, it took you so many tries to get your badges, and you only got your Pignite back thanks to your friends. Think about it. Do you want Pignite, or any other Pokémon that falls under your care, to suffer due to your carelessness?"

Bianca was on the verge of tears. "N-no..."

"Everything's peaceful in Nuvema Town. You don't have crime there like you do in these big cities you've been travelling to. A family that loves you is back there. We can train Pignite there together, and it'll never be in danger again. It's best for all of us."

Bianca wiped her eyes. "I, I—"

"I completely disagree with you, Mr. Bianca's Dad!" Casey shouted, standing up in front of her chair.

"This is a family iss—"

"I'm Bianca's friend now, and I _know _she wants to keep on going. Even if you strike out sometimes, does that mean you should throw in the towel? No! So why should Bianca, just because she's striking out? There are so many innings left!"

Wiping her last tear away, Bianca straightened up in her chair and said, "I don't get all those baseball words, but I think I agree with Casey."

Bianca's dad gave Casey a solemn look, then he turned his attention back to Bianca. "I know this is difficult. But in light of everything that's happened, I believe you and your Pokémon would be better off if you held off on your journey for now."

"Georgio," Casey said, "what do you think of all this?"

Everyone turned their attention to Georgio, who instantly noticed the scary look Bianca's dad had on his face.

"Umm, I'm not sure," he squeaked, taking a sip of his drink.

"C'mon, Georgio, it's time to step up to the plate!" Casey pleaded. "For Bianca's sake."

"Listen," the father interrupted, "I'll let you think about it, Bianca. I want you to consider what's safest for you and your Pokémon, okay? But I expect a response soon."

Bianca felt herself melting under the look he was giving her. "O-okay, I'll think about it."

Lightening up, her father tried to put on a smile as he dug through his coat pocket. Out came two tickets.

"While we're here in Nimbasa, I thought we could have some fun together," he said. "Want to go to the baseball game tonight?"

Bianca looked at the tickets for a moment, breathed in and out, and then walked over to grab one. "Sure," she said. "Can we watch it with Georgio and Casey?"

"Sorry, but we can't. The tickets tell you where you have to sit."

"Oh, okay," Bianca whispered.

"It's a shame," Georgio said. Casey nodded.

"Anyway, Bianca, I do have some business to take care of here before the game tonight. Did you want to come along with me?"

"No thanks," she replied instantly. "I want to be with my friends for now."

For a moment, the father's eyes grew wide. Never, ever has Bianca turned down an opportunity to be around him.

"Oh, okay," he said, pulling himself together. He stood up and said, "Then... we'll meet here at six before the game?"

"Okie dokie," Bianca replied, trying to smile.

As Bianca's dad left the scene, everyone started to breathe easier again.

"This is serious, huh?" Casey asked.

"Yeah," Bianca replied, carefully putting the ticket into her messenger bag. "I just don't know what to do..."


	7. Section 7

**Section Seven**

Trying to relax, Bianca and her friends toured Nimbasa City at their own pace for the rest of the day. As the clock ticked on, the number of baseball-clad fans walking around continued to grow. And when the clock ticked six, Bianca met up with her dad, as promised.

Bianca never did understand baseball—or any other sport—very well, but she was surprised by how much fun it was to watch. The fans got so excited with each hit as they cheered on their respective team. Her dad was especially excited. Though still wearing his suit, he also had on a black and white Zebstrika scarf to show his team spirit.

"Take that, Electabuzz!" he shouted when a Zebstrika runner made it to home plate. "You were doomed the moment you decided to take us on!"

"You sure are passionate, Daddy," Bianca pointed out with a smile. A part of her, though, knew that Casey and Georgio were somewhere frowning. The Electabuzz were behind by two points now—Bianca at least understood that. "Hey, Daddy?" she asked.

"Yes, Bianca?" her dad replied, suddenly his formal self again.

"When's halftime?"

"This is baseball, Bianca. There is no halftime."

"Really? Why not?"

"Well, there are nine innings, and you can't decide nine into two equal halves."

"You could if you had halftime half way through the fourth inning," Bianca pointed out.

"You're right, but that's not how they do it. Why did you want to know when halftime was, anyway?"

"I wanted to grab some snacks," she said cheerfully.

"A concession stand is up that way," her dad said, pointing towards it.

Bianca grabbed her green messenger bag and pulled some money out of it. She then made her way to the concession stand. As she walked up the stairs, she looked to her left and noticed none other than Georgio and Casey cheering on the Electabuzz. Casey was swinging her bat around like crazy, shouting about how the Electabuzz "will never let themselves get zapped." She had her Meganium wearing an Electabuzz headband, too. And Georgio, who was so meek and mild when they first met, was every bit as passionate as Casey.

Bianca decided to veer off her path to go say hello to them. "Casey, Georgio!" she called out.

Even over the roar of the crowd, the two could hear their names. They looked over and both smiled when they saw Bianca. "Hey, Bianca!" Casey said. "What brings you around these parts?"

"I was heading for the concession stand," she said. "How are you?"

"Doing fine," Georgio said, back to his mild-mannered self.

Casey bit her lip. "I can't _believe_ the mistake they made earlier," she moaned. "The shortstop threw the ball to first base rather than to the hot corner! Can you believe that?"

"Umm, no," Bianca replied.

Right then, the announcer cut in with, "And now the Electabuzz will be switching out their pitcher. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome Corey Demario to the field!"

And a roar erupted from the crowd as Casey squealed. With a big smile on her face, Casey said, "Bianca, I've met Corey Demario before!"

"You have?" Bianca asked.

"Yep," Casey said, watching the pitcher walk onto the field. He was tall and had short, brown hair beneath his Electabuzz baseball cap. "I helped him train his Charizard. Before it met me, it was too scared to fly, and it couldn't use Flamethrower. But Corey and me turned him into a champ! Corey is so awesome."

Georgio looked at Casey's excited face with a bit of discomfort in his own.

"He is good," he said meekly.

Once Corey Demario took center stage, he wound up and threw one incredibly fast pitch. The batter barely managed to hit it. It turned out to be a foul ball, and it was flying right towards our heroes. Casey and Georgio got into position, ready to catch it. Bianca, noticing how intently they were looking at the sky, turned her head up and asked, "Whatcha looking at?"

Right then, she figured out the answer as the baseball hit her in the face.

"Wow!" Casey squealed. "Bianca, I can't believe you caught that ball!"

Bianca scraped the ball off her face and started rubbing her forehead. "Neither... can I," she managed to get out.

"That's really something," Georgio pointed out. "The first ball thrown by Corey Demario in the Unova region!"

Bianca looked down at the ball, realizing that it was something special. Then she looked up at Casey and asked, "Do you want it?"

Casey was taken aback for a moment. "Y-you're giving it to me?"

"Yeah. We're friends, right?"

"Well, if you insist," Casey said with a smile, snatching it out of Bianca's hands. She held the ball up to her nose and sniffed it. "Wow, I can still smell Corey Demario's hands on it."

Georgio cleared his throat, another uncomfortable look on his face.

"Thanks, Bianca," Casey said, giving her a quick hug.

"You're welcome," Bianca replied, also smiling. She then remembered that her dad must have been wondering where she was. "Well, guys, I better go get some snacks. How about we meet up after the game?"

"Sounds good," Georgio replied.

"Yep!" Casey added.

Meganium said its own name, smiling too.

As Bianca walked towards the concession stand, still rubbing her forehead, she realized that her dad might have wanted that foul ball. After all, a Zebstrika player is the one who hit it. But thinking about how excited Casey got upon receiving it, she didn't mind.


	8. Section 8

**Section Eight**

"They were around here somewhere," Bianca told her dad as she looked for Casey and Georgio after the game. "Oh, there they are. Hey, guys!"

Bianca didn't know whether to smile or not. She was happy to see her friends again, but since the Electabuzz ended up losing by one point, she didn't think they would be in a good mood. To her surprise, though, Casey and Georgio were smiling. So was Casey's Meganium as it returned to its Poké Ball.

"Hey, Bianca," Casey replied. "Intense game, huh?"

"Yeah," Bianca replied uncertainly.

"The Electabuzz fought their hardest. I'm sure they'll win next time."

Bianca's dad cleared his throat. Casey glared at him. Sensing another argument coming on, Georgio cut in with, "We were thinking about going to see if we could talk with the team."

Casey, dropping the glare she was shooting at Bianca's dad, said, "Yeah, I wanted Georgio to meet Corey Demario himself."

"That sounds like a neat idea," Bianca said. "Can we come with you?"

Casey put her hands on her hips and held her nose up high. "Only if Mr. Zebstrika Fan promises to behave himself."

His eyebrow twitching some in anger, he replied, "Don't you worry. I won't rub it in his face that he lost."

The two shared another round of glares. Georgio grabbed Casey, and Bianca grabbed her dad. "Well, then let's move out!" Georgio said, trying to sound cheerful.

The group made its way towards the Electabuzz dugout, navigating through a huge wave of fans going every direction. At one point, a security guard stopped them.

"Halt! Who goes there?" he asked, puffing out his chest.

Mumbling to himself, Bianca's dad asked, "Does this guy think he's guarding a castle or something?"

Not finding this weird at all, Casey replied, "It is I, Casey. If you will remember, it is I who helped Corey Demario out of his slump recently."

The guard loosened up a little. "Ah, yes, we have heard of your noble deeds. What brings you here?"

"I wish to introduce my friends to Demario, if you would be so kind."

"I would," he replied, stepping aside.

By this time, though, the only person left in the Electabuzz dugout was the batboy. Casey let out a little moan. "They must've already dashed," she said.

"Why don't we ask the batboy if they're still around?" Georgio asked.

"Good idea. Hey, batboy, do you know where we can find Corey Demario?"

The batboy looked over at them. It turned out she was actually a batgirl. Her eyes were hidden behind sunglasses, which seemed odd given how late it was. She replied, "I'm not allowed to release that information."

Bianca, feeling bad for Casey and Georgio, stepped forward. "Please, let us see him. Casey and Georgio here have been so nice to me. A Pokémon of mine was stolen, but they got it back for me. They deserve something nice. Can we see Corey Demario? Please?"

The batgirl's eyebrows shot up. "You say a Pokémon was stolen from you?"

"That's right," Bianca said meekly. It was still embarrassing to admit that she nearly lost her Pignite.

"How would you describe the culprit?"

"Umm, he had long, dark hair and dark eyes. He rode a motorcycle."

"So you're part of the case we've heard so much about." The batgirl looked around her in all directions. "Bianca, you trust everyone here, right?"

"Yeah," she replied, her eyebrows shooting up this time. "But how did you know my name?"

The batgirl removed her sunglasses, revealing her brown eyes. She also removed her baseball cap, revealing her green hair. "Listen," she said, "I'm an undercover cop, and I've heard reports of a Pokémon thief in the area."

She explained that they heard about Bianca's case through hearsay. They were interested in learning more from her, but since she herself never reported to the police station, they didn't know where to find her.

"Would you mind explaining to me the details of what happened?"

"Umm, okay," Bianca replied, a bit nervous to be talking to an undercover police officer.

She recounted the story of how the receptionist turned out to be a fake. He rode off on his motorcycle, but Casey's Beedrill tracked him down. Georgio then battled the thief's Wobbuffet with his Delcatty. They managed to get Pignite back, but the thief got away.

"I see," the officer said. "I thought the thief might make an appearance somewhere in the stands today, but we haven't heard of any robberies since then." She rubbed her chin for a moment, pondering the situation. "We'll work on it. Can I have your Xtransceiver number, just in case we have further questions?"

"Sure," Bianca replied.

After entering the number into her own Xtransceiver, the officer said, "Thank you very much. Your cooperation could help save future Pokémon."

"I'll help in any way I can!" Bianca said. "I don't want anybody else going through the pain I had to. I'll help you catch him, if you want!"

"That's a good girl," the officer said with a smile. "We'll contact you if we want your help."

"Got it!"

"Well, you best be going. I have more work to do here."

The group thanked her and headed out. By then, the fans had started to clear out, so it was a smooth walk back to the Pokémon Center.


	9. Section 9

**Section Nine**

Even though it was getting late, Bianca knew that Professor Juniper would still be awake. She was always hard at work researching Pokémon. So Bianca dialed her Xtransceiver, which Professor Juniper promptly answered.

"Bianca," she said, "how are you doing?"

"Just fine, Professor Juniper. I know it's late, but I wanted to call and let you know that, sometime soon, I'm gonna help the police catch a Pokémon thief!"

"Are you?" the professor asked, an impressed smile on her face. "That's a pretty big undertaking."

"I think I can handle it," Bianca said. "I've made some friends here in Nimbasa, and they'll be helping me out."

"I'm glad to hear you've met some nice people," Professor Juniper said. "That's one of the joys of travelling."

"I know. I just love it!"

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to her, Bianca's dad was quietly listening to the conversation. Bianca and the professor continued to talk about travelling, and Bianca described her most recent gym battle.

"Well," Professor Juniper eventually said, "it's getting late. I think we should both be getting to bed."

"Sounds like a good idea," Bianca replied. "Good night, Professor Juniper."

"Good night, Bianca."

And with that, Bianca switched off her Xtransceiver. Outside, she overheard the boom of thunder—a storm was coming in. At least it held out until after the game: Casey, Georgio, and her dad would have been so disappointed if it had gotten rained out.

Like many other trainers in the Pokémon Center, the group prepared their sleeping bags, rolling them out on the floor. "It was a fun day," Casey told everyone as she got snuggled into her sleeping bag.

"It sure was," Bianca replied, already inside of hers. Like Casey, she had taken her hat off and laid it to the side. "Thanks again, you two, for helping me get my Pignite back."

"It was no problem," Georgio assured her. "We're just glad we could help."

As the group wished one another good night, Bianca's dad silently slid into his sleeping bag, deep in thought.

In the middle of the night, an especially loud crack of thunder jolted Casey from her sleep. Looking out a Pokémon Center window, she could see flashes of lightning as rain poured down. She glanced over at Georgio to see if he was awake. To her surprise, he had just been looking over at her to see if she was awake.

"Trouble sleeping?" he whispered.

"Yeah," she replied. "It's really coming down out there."

"There's been lots of lightning."

"Yeah, it kind of reminds me of the day I first saw an Electabuzz."

"You can remember that far back? What was it like?"

Casey nudged her sleeping bag closer to Georgio's.

"It's a long story," she began.

"I have all night to listen," Georgio assured her.

Casey explained that, when she was a little girl, she was already cheering on the Electabuzz. It wasn't so much because she liked the team personally, but because her family was always cheering them on. She really did like baseball, though. One day, she was going home from the park after playing a game with some other kids. On her way back, though, a storm suddenly popped up.

"Like the one tonight?" Georgio asked.

"Worse, I'd say," Casey replied. She then nudged her sleeping bag closer to Georgio's. "I was soaking wet in less than a minute—and I was wearing a baseball cap, like always."

The lightning was starting to scare her, so she decided to hide under a tree. But a bolt of lightning hit a branch, and it caught on fire. Casey was so scared that she couldn't move.

"Luckily, Electabuzz like wandering around during thunderstorms, so one just happened to notice me."

"It probably noticed your yellow and black stripes," Georgio pointed out.

"Yeah, that's true," Casey replied, nudging her sleeping bag closer to Georgio's.

The Pokémon grabbed Casey and pulled her away from the tree right in the nick of time: a burning branch fell near the two of them. To her surprise, it then pushed her away. She decided to keep on running home. She looked back, though, and noticed that the Electabuzz was absorbing lots of lightning bolts for her. To keep her safe.

"It's amazing how nice Pokémon can be to strangers," Georgio said.

"Amazing," Casey agreed. "Since then, I've loved the Electabuzz personally." She then nudged her sleeping bag closer to Georgio's.

"And the rain put the fire out, right?" he asked.

"That's right. Nothing to worry about there."

"That's a neat story. I just became an Electabuzz fan after seeing how determined they are, no matter what. I admired that. I still do."

"That's one of the coolest things about them," Casey said with a little nod.

After a moment passed in silence, Georgio said, "We should probably be getting back to sleep now. If we can."

"You're right. Good night again."

"Good night."

After Georgio closed his eyes, Casey nudged her sleeping bag even closer to his.


	10. Section 10

**Section Ten**

The sun was shining the following morning, as if the storm had never happened. Since they were early Pidgey, Bianca and her father were already awake. They were sitting on a couch near Georgio and Casey, looking at the two of them so close together.

"Aren't they cute?" Bianca whispered to her father, blushing.

"Personally," her dad said, straightening his tie, "I think she's too young to have a boyfriend. She's ten or eleven, right?"

"Don't be such a spoil sport," Bianca said with a smile. "I think it's just a little puppy love between them."

Bianca's dad crossed his arms. "I bet she's still into toys like My Little Ponyta. She's too young."

Twiddling her thumbs, Bianca replied, "Not everyone that's into My Little Ponyta is young..."

"Well," her dad said conclusively, "if I were her father, I'd have lots of problems with their relationship."

The two sat in silence for a moment as Casey and Georgio continued to breathe in and out in their sleep. Bianca tilted her head towards her father and said, "If I stop my journey now, I'll never meet new people. And what if my special someone is out there somewhere?"

Bianca's dad turned pale. "Y-your... special someone?"

"That's right," Bianca said with a smile. "I've gotta meet him eventually, don't I?"

"Not anytime soon, though," he declared.

"Oh, Daddy."

"Bianca," he said, looking her right in the eye, "it can be difficult to know who you can trust and who you can't. That's why I believe you should wait. What if your heart gets broken?"

"Daddy...," Bianca said.

"I'm serious. On a much simpler level, you trusted the receptionist man with one of your precious Pokémon, and look what happened. What if you trust a deceptive man with your heart someday?"

Bianca let a long breath out through her nose, not sure what to say. "So... you don't think I can judge people for myself?"

"It's difficult for everyone," her father said, looking at the ground. "Maybe it's about time I told you..."

"Told me what?" Bianca asked, her muscles getting tense.

"Let's sit somewhere else. We don't want to wake up your friends."

"Okay..."

Nervously, the two of them shuffled their way over to a nearby bench. Bianca's dad asked her if she'd like anything to drink, but she declined. For himself, he pulled out a thermos of coffee he had prepared earlier.

"Do you remember how I told you I once owned a Sandile?" he asked.

"Of course," Bianca replied. "It, it... passed away shortly after I was born."

"That's not what happened," her dad confessed. Bianca gasped. "I'm sorry for laying this all on you at once, but I think it's time for you to know. One day, I was on my way back from a business trip when I noticed a wild Unfezant pecking around in the grass. I knew it was a long shot since Sandile was the only Pokémon I had on me at the time, but I tried battling it. Needless to say, I lost."

Bianca's dad took a sip of his coffee.

"Some creep wearing all black must have been watching the whole thing, because he appeared out of nowhere and pinned me against a tree. He told me to give him my Sandile. At first, I told him no. But then he pulled out a Poké Ball of his own that had a Liepard in it. He threatened to have it attack me if I didn't hand Sandile over. Since I didn't have any Pokémon to fight back with..."

Bianca's father let her fill in the details for herself as he took some more sips of his coffee.

"The police never did catch him. I like to imagine the guy fixed up his life and that Sandile is happy, but I just can't be sure."

Bianca sat in silence for a moment, staring down at her lap. She didn't know what to say. "I'm so sorry to hear that," she got out.

Bianca's dad grabbed her by the chin and looked into her eyes. "Bianca, crime like that never happens at Nuvema Town. There's a reason why I don't take business trips as often as I used to. The world is a dangerous place for you and for your Pokémon, and that's why your mother and I believe you would be safest at home. You won't have to deal with bad people. You won't have to have your feelings hurt."

Bianca could feel tears welling up in her eyes. "But... if I just stay at home, I'll never meet new people, not the good ones either."

"And not the bad ones," her father reminded her. "Please, keep that in mind when you make your decision." He let go of her chin and took another sip of his coffee.

"But, but—"

Before Bianca could reply, Georgio and Casey were walking over, both still glossy-eyed from having just woken up. "Good morning," Georgio said. "Been up long?"

"N-no," Bianca said, wiping her eyes dry.

"We were gonna tour Nimbasa some more today," Casey said. "Still up for it?"

"Yeah..."

"Good! Let's have breakfast first, okay?"

Bianca's dad stood up. "Have fun with your friends, Bianca," he said. "I still have some unfinished business to take care of here."

"All right," Bianca replied.

"And remember what we talked about earlier."

"I will..."


	11. Section 11

**Section Eleven**

"That was so awesome!" Casey said as she and the group stepped out of the amusement park.

"It was a lot of fun," Bianca said, thinking about how she wouldn't have gotten to experience it if she just stayed at home.

"Where did you want to go next?" Georgio asked everyone. "I know there's a place that puts on musicals... I think it's just north from here."

Just then, Bianca received a call on her Xtransceiver. She figured that it was just her father checking in on her, but as soon as she opened it up, the police officer from yesterday appeared on the screen. She was wearing her baseball uniform.

"Bianca, there's not much time to talk," she said. "The suspect was seen going north. Due to how crowded the city is today, he wasn't riding his motorcycle. We wanted to see if you and your friends wanted to get revenge on this guy."

"Of course!" Bianca replied. Casey and Georgio nudged in close to look at the Xtransceiver screen. "Where do you want us?"

"Since he's going north, we've got people stationed near the Big Stadium, the Small Court, the Musical Theater, and the entrance to Route 5, near the Driftveil Drawbridge."

"I'll take the Musical Theater," Georgio volunteered. "I know right where it is."

"And I can take the Small Court," Casey said. "Bianca, how about you stand out in front of the Big Stadium, where we were yesterday? That way, you'll see him whether he tries to exit the city or go into the stadium?"

"O-okay," Bianca said, the weight of the situation starting to really press down on her.

"Sounds good. There are police officers stationed in the locations I just mentioned. Be sure to find them. Good luck!"

With that, the police officer signed off.

"Let's split up, gang!" Casey said. "We've gotta get moving!"

"Right!" Bianca and Georgio replied.

As instructed, Bianca headed towards the Big Stadium. It wasn't easy making her way there: the city was very crowded now that it was approaching noon. Swerving around people and saying "pardon me" every few seconds, she trudged on forward. Finally, she made it in front of the Big Stadium, where she saw the undercover police officer poised and looking around.

"Bianca," she said, "nice to see you. Any sign of the suspect anywhere?"

"No, ma'am," Bianca replied, catching her breath.

"It's very important that we don't let him go by here," she explained. "If he heads to Route 5, he can get out of the city by going to the Driftveil Drawbridge. We would raise the drawbridge, but there are too many people on it to do it on such short notice."

"Ah," Bianca said, feeling even more pressured than she did before.

"Wait, is that him?" the officer asked. She saw a man with long dark hair walk into the Big Stadium. Bianca wasn't able to get a good look at him. "Wait here," the police officer instructed her. "I wanna check this guy out."

As the officer discreetly followed the man, Bianca kept her eyes wide open and looked around. There were so many people... But, as she reminded herself, she couldn't let herself get overwhelmed. In the crowds, she tried to look at each individual. And at one point, she saw a man with short, dark hair standing in front of the Big Stadium, looking around anxiously. Sure, his hair was short. But his dark eyes, and that look on his face... There was no mistaking it!

Bianca dialed her Xtransceiver and whispered into it, "I've spotted the subject. Alert everyone." She then closed it up. "Pignite, come on out!" Bianca shouted, swirling her arm around as if warming up for a pitch. She then let the Poké Ball go, and out came her Pignite. She and her Pokémon stepped in front of the man. Upon seeing them, he took a step back, growing tense.

"What's the problem here?" he asked, trying to make his voice sound higher than it really was. But it had a slightly raspy quality to it, just like the fake receptionist's. There was no mistaking it.

"This is the end of the line for you!" Bianca told him, surprised by her own confidence.

"I have no clue what you're talking about," he said, trying to look confused.

"Okay then, Pignite, use Arm Thrust on the man!"

With a smile, Pignite said its own name and readied the attack. But the man pulled out a Poké Ball and said, "Shuckle," come on out! And out came a weird-looking Pokémon that looked like a yellow worm in a red shell polka-dotted with white spots.

Bianca pulled out her Pokédex which said aloud, "Shuckle, the Mold Pokémon. It stores berries inside its shell. To avoid attacks, it hides beneath rocks and remains completely still."

"It's so cute!" Bianca said.

"Don't get so cocky, girl," the man warned her. "It's not cute: it's as tough as nails!"

"I still think it's cute," Bianca replied.

At this point, a number of bystanders had stopped to watch the battle unfold. Bianca tried not to let that stress her out.

"You're not going to make a Mankey outta me again!" the man shouted.

"We'll see about that! Pignite, use Arm Thrust!"

Pignite punched Shuckle's shell five times. When Shuckle came out afterwards, it barely looked damaged.

"My policy is that the best offense is a good defense. Shuckle, use Withdraw!"

Shuckle again went into its shell, using the opportunity to increase its defense.

"Try another arm thrust!" Bianca commanded.

Pignite once again punched Shuckle's shell five times. And, once again, Shuckle emerged still looking fine.

"Show 'em Flame Charge!" Bianca shouted.

Pignite stomped its feet on the ground, swaying back and forth as it said its name again and again. Suddenly, a huge flame burst around its body, and it lunged at the man's Shuckle. The attack was so fast that Shuckle didn't get inside its shell in time. It definitely took some damage then.

"We've got this, Pignite!" Bianca called out. Pignite looked back at its trainer and cheerfully said its name.

The man, however, just smiled. "Shuckle, time for a Rest!"

Shuckle once again withdrew into its shell, where it fell asleep.

"Don't you see?" the man asked Bianca. "Whenever you do manage to hurt my Shuckle a little, I can just have it heal all its health with Rest."

Bianca took a step back, not sure how to reply to that. "Well... Pignite, give it another Arm Thrust before it wakes up!"

And Pignite once again punched Shuckle five times. But once Shuckle emerged from its shell, it just let out a little yawn, looking like it was in perfect condition.

"See? You barely did anything to it."

"Well, you have to attack back eventually!" Bianca shouted.

"Oh, don't you worry about that! Shuckle, use Toxic!"

"Pignite, dodge it!"

But it was too late: out of Shuckle's mouth came some purple goop, and it managed to hit Pignite dead-on. Bianca knew what this move did. It poisoned the victim, and it would continue to do more and more damage until the Pokémon fainted.

Bianca knew what she needed to do: she had to finish up this battle—and fast. But how do you do that when you're up against a Pokémon with high defense like Shuckle?

Then it came to Bianca. "Pignite, use Ember!"

Pignite, who was looking a little sick from the blast of Toxic, managed to spit some fire right at Shuckle. It left the worm with some red marks on it.

"All right, we burned it!" Bianca called out. That would gradually do damage to the Shuckle.

The criminal just shook his head. "Girl, don't you remember? I can just recover the health. Shuckle, use Rest!"

And, once again, the Shuckle withdrew into its shell and slept. But Bianca wasn't scared: she saw that coming.

"Pignite, use Flame Charge!" she called out.

Once more, Pignite stomped its feet on the ground, swaying back and forth as it said its name again and again. Suddenly, a huge flame burst around its body, and it lunged at Shuckle. It hit the shell directly.

"Great, now do it again!"

And Pignite did it again.

"And again!"

And Pignite did it again.

"And again!"

And Pignite did it again.

Bianca knew from her Pokédex that, every time you used Flame Charge, the Pokémon got faster. So if she could just keep using it again and again...

After a few more Flame Charges, Shuckle's head and limbs fell out of its shell. It had fainted.

"What the—?!" the man shouted.

"With your burn and us attacking so fast, we got your health down to nothing before your Shuckle could wake back up," Bianca explained, feeling quite proud of herself.

"Grr... Shuckle, you failed me! You good-for-nothing—"

"Meganium," a familiar voice said, "shut him up with Vine Whip!"

From behind Bianca came two vines that wrapped themselves around the man's mouth, holding him in place. Bianca couldn't make out his muffled protests. She turned around to see where the vines came from. Lo and behold, Casey was standing there with her Meganium. And not just her: Georgio was there along with some other police officers. Last but not least, Bianca's dad was also there.

They all gave Bianca a round of applause.

"That was an awesome battle!" Casey said, patting Bianca on the back.

"Y-you were watching the whole time?"

"We figured you could handle it," the undercover police officer said. As she spoke, some regular police officers stepped forward and took the criminal into custody. "And if you did slip up, we were here to help you."

"Oh, I think I have some Antidote with me," Georgio said. "Spray some on Pignite."

"Thanks," Bianca said as she took the spray bottle. She got down on one knee and sprayed some of the medicine onto Pignite. Within seconds, Pignite was back to its usual self. She gave it a hug. "Thanks, buddy," she told it. Pignite cheerfully said its name.

She then overheard the police officers talking to the thief.

"Aren't you going to return Shuckle to its Poké Ball?" one officer asked.

"Nah, I'm ditching that thing. It was supposed to have high defense, but look how this turned out! Release the thing back to the wild."

"You can't just abandon your Pokémon after one loss," Casey told him, pleading on Shuckle's behalf.

"Casey's right," Bianca chimed in. "Shuckle fought its hardest. Maybe if it had a better trainer..."

"Shut up!" the man barked.

"But, but—!" Casey said.

Bianca stepped forward. "Go ahead and take that guy away. I'll take care of Shuckle." The police officers nodded and dragged the thief away once and for all. Bianca then got down on her knees in front of Shuckle. She held it up to her face and said, "How about we get you to the Pokémon Center, okay?"

Shuckle nodded its little head, looking grateful that at least someone cared about it.

Bianca then felt a hand on her shoulder. "Bianca, thank you for your help today," the undercover police officer said. "Now, this man will never be able to steal another Pokémon again. You've rescued lots of people from unnecessary pain."

Bianca smiled and blushed. "I just did what I could."

"Well," the police officer said, "you sure are capable of a lot."

"She does make me proud."

Bianca's dad stepped forward, smiling even though he had a tear in his eye. He gave his daughter a hug.

"Daddy...!"


	12. Section 12

**Section Twelve**

The following day, a newspaper called _The Nimbasa Times_ published a story about how Bianca had managed to help the police stop a Pokémon thief. Bianca, Casey, and Georgio each bought a copy for themselves, and Bianca's dad bought five copies: he wanted to make sure he could always hold on to the memory.

At the Pokémon Center, Casey and Georgio were flipping through the article, flattered to see that Bianca had thanked them in an interview. "You know," Casey pointed out to Georgio, "this reminds me of the time we stopped those two Team Rocket thugs, Cassidy and Bob, from stealing your Delcatty."

"I thought the guy's name was Biff," Georgio replied, his head tilting to the side as he searched his memory.

"No, I'm pretty sure it was Bob," Casey assured him.

"Whatever you say."

Meanwhile, Bianca was on the floor, polishing off Shuckle's shell. "I'm not very good at keeping my stuff clean," she told it, "but I don't want you to get in that habit, okay?"

Shuckle, with a smile on its face, nodded in agreement.

"So you're okay being my Pokémon from here on out?"

With an even bigger smile on its face, Shuckle nodded in agreement.

"That's great!" Bianca said. "You're so cute..."

"I see you like that Shuckle a lot," Bianca's dad said from behind her.

All the excitement had distracted Bianca. But now she remembered that her father wanted to bring her home. Suddenly, she felt her stomach tie up into a knot.

"Y-yeah I do, Daddy," she replied uncertainly. But then she straightened her back and turned towards her dad. "Listen. I've decided it's worth meeting bad people, because I get to meet good people too. If I never travelled, I would have never met Casey or Georgio. Or Shuckle! And I wouldn't have seen these beautiful cities... There's just so much to see! So I want to continue on with my journey."

"I couldn't agree more, Bianca," he replied.

For a moment, it seemed as if the whole world fell silent. It took a minute for the news to register. "S-so you're okay with me travelling?" Bianca asked. "Ooh, thank you, Daddy, thank you!" She then gave him a nice, tight hug.

"Wow, Mr. Bianca's Dad," Casey said as she watched the scene unfold. "I guess you aren't the big, dumb, arrogant, uncaring, mean, nasty guy I thought you were. Even if you are a Zebstrika fan."

"Why, thank you, Casey," the father replied, half-smiling.

"I'm real glad you changed your mind, sir," Georgio told him.

Around noon, our heroes decided that it was time for them to go their separate ways. They stood outside the Pokémon Center as the sun smiled above them.

"What are you up to next, Bianca?" Casey asked her friend.

"I'm going to stay in Nimbasa City for a bit longer," she replied. "I want to battle Elesa, the gym leader here!"

"I hear she's pretty tough," Georgio said.

"Well, I'm sure my Pignite and Shuckle can handle it," Bianca said with a smile. "What are you doing next, Casey?"

"I'm off to Driftveil City and then to Chargestone Cave. I wanna catch a Joltik: it evolves into Galvantula!"

"Yep," Georgio said, "Casey's always had a thing for yellow and striped Pokémon."

"Because those are the Electabuzz colors, right?" Bianca asked.

"Right!" Casey replied.

Georgio turned to Casey, his face glowing red, and asked, "Can I come with you? I'd really like a Galvantula too."

Casey also turned a little red. "Sure, Georgio, if that's what you want..."

Bianca then turned to her dad and asked, "Are you going back home now, Daddy?"

"That's correct," he replied. "Your mom needs me back in Nuvema Town."

As Georgio and Casey headed west, they waved back at Bianca and her dad. They called out their good-byes, promising to see each other again. Once they were out of sight, Bianca's dad pulled his daughter into another hug. "I'm so proud of you. You know that?"

"I do now," Bianca said with a smile, "thanks."

"I wish you luck on the rest of your Pokémon journey. Call me whenever you want. Let me hear about the people and Pokémon you've met."

"I will, Daddy."

The two pulled back from their hug. "Well, I look forward to seeing you again," he said. "Bye, Bianca."

"Bye, Daddy."

Bianca waved at her father as he headed south, back to their home in Nuvema Town.

Bianca wasn't sure what lied ahead for her. It was an amazing world, but a dangerous one, too. But she knew that, with her Pokémon and her friends beside her, she would be just fine.


End file.
